Taylor
by fangjakeridelovesme
Summary: She just wanted to watch a movie. Have a nice evening with her best friend. Until her friend calls to say she's 'busy'. Meeting Taylor Lautner definitely wasn't on the list of things to do. Rating for later chapters.
1. Avatar

"Hey, you're actually out of your house," the tall boy said as she crossed the road.

He was standing on the grass, waiting for her. The white car she'd gotten out of suddenly stopped and pulled over on the side of the road. She ignored it and ran at him, dropping her bag at the ground near his feet.

He smiled as he caught her and swung her around. Two girls were approaching. He held her tighter and laughed. "I love you so much!"

He put her down and tried to take her bag. "Why'd you leave me at your house to deal with your family all on my own?" She grabbed her bag from his hands and shrugged it on.

"He wanted to compare us and how similar and different we are." She opened her mouth to reply when the two girls walked up to them.

"—here! I can't believe it! It's really him!" One of them was on the phone.

"He who?" her friend's voice said out of the cell.

"Taylor Lautner!" He looked at her. Then he turned and ran.

I'd only been standing in line for a few seconds when I felt someone get in after me. My phone rang at the same time. I ignored the person and answered the phone.

"I can't make it," my friend said, breathless.

"Okay. I hear Dustin. I don't need to know," I responded. The last time I'd asked for details, I'd sorely regretted it.

"Yeah. Well, I gotta go. Call me when the movie ends." I sighed. She'd already hung up. Ditching me for sex. Great.

"Do you know how long the movie lasts," the person behind me asked. I turned around, recognized him and chose to forget.

"Yep. Two and a half hours. Longest computer made movie," I said. He nodded, watching me with apprehension.

"Cool. I think it's gonna be really good. Been waiting to see it for a month."

"You couldn't get tickets?" I asked, surprised. How was that possible?

"No. Not enough time. Kind of swamped." His head tilted in wonder.

"What?" I asked.

"Why aren't you freaking out and asking for my autograph and taking pictures and labeling it 'me and my boyfriend' on facebook?"

"Because I don't think that you're that different from any other person with a job or talent," I said. "Just because you're Taylor Lautner doesn't mean I have to freak out."

"Really? I don't completely understand," he said, stepping closer to me with is head cocked to one side.

"You only have a job. It's your job to act, correct?" He nodded. "Okay. Is your job at entertaining people any better than the person who wrote the book? Or the screenplay? Or made all the special-effects?"

"No, not really. If anything, they did more work," he said.

"Exactly."

I turned away from him and stared out the glass doors I was standing next to. For a few seconds, he stood behind me in silence.

"Isn't the reason all those girls want a picture with me because they want proof that they met me?" he asked, trying to get back on my good side. He even wanted to be friends with a stranger he never met.

"Yes, that's pretty much it."

"And you don't want proof that we had this conversation?" he asked.

"Nope. The only person who would listen to the story would believe me instantly. But she'd much rather talk about her boyfriend than any actor, be him hot or not."

"Hot?"

"Isn't that what all the females are saying about you? What with the unceremonious shirt-ripping-off scene," I said, trying to describe the scene simply.

"I guess. I don't pay attention. Smile and wave is pretty much my motto. NO one can get made at me if I don't say anything."

I looked up into his dark eyes and tried to read the emotion there. I got nothing. Panning my eyes to include most of his tall body, I read his life story.

"You really didn't like having to pull your shirt off in front of the people there, did you?" I asked.

"No, not really."

"And you didn't even think of the countless numbers of American girls who would be watching it later, did you?"

"Not at all, but thank you for reminding me," he said, groaning slightly. I laughed.

"Not quite the best job to have, is it?" I asked, watching his slight humiliation.

"Not so much. Not anymore."

A group of four girls walked by and he turned his head away from them, facing out the windows like I had been. There wasn't anybody in line behind him. He was completely exposed.

They fell on him like vultures.

"Aren't you Taylor Lautner?"

"Can I get your autograph?"

"Pose for this picture, Taylor."

"Text my friend. Better—call her!"

They were all searching for some way to document the meeting. He smiled, glanced at me in apology, and signed the back of the ticket stub one of them held out.

I shook my head and smiled. All the girls looked at me for a second before deciding I was no threat. A few people moved out of the line and the rest of it moved forward quickly. I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him with me as I stepped forward.

"Thank you," he said, hurriedly. They all smiled at him and walked away. "See, that's how normal girls are supposed to act around me," he said to me.

"Well, that's lovely. It just means I'm not a normal teenage girl." My phone vibrated in my pocket. "Sorry," I said to Taylor.

"Not at all," he said, stepping away to give me some privacy.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rains."

"I thought I told you never to call me that."

"You did. I ignored it."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. What are you doing?"

"Standing in line for Avatar and talking to a lovely man. Also, itching to get off the phone with you."

"Nice guy, huh?"

"No. You're just very annoying."

"Awesome. You need a ride home?"

"No. If I can't get anyone after the movie, I'll call you."

"Really?"

"No. I'll walk home. It's only a mile or so. Not a big deal."

"Are you kidding?"

"Not at all."

"Oh."

"I have to go."

"Where?"

"To the movie I payed so much to watch." I rolled my eyes. Taylor smiled, catching on.

"Alright. Well, talk to you later."

"Yeah, sure." I hung up and sighed, replacing the phone in my pocket.

"If you don't mind me asking, who was that?" He'd stepped back into line directly behind me.

"Just an annoying ex-boyfriend. Sometimes, he won't leave me alone. Others, I'm the farthest thing from his mind. I don't know which is better," I said.

"Ah."

"You've never dated anyone? And then had them obsessed with you."

"Not really. Dated, but it's not an extensive collection."

"The effects of being an actor?"

"Yup. Want the money, not me."

I nodded, trying not to analyze him. It was so hard. Maybe just studying him.

There was the obvious brown hair, brown eyes, semi-plainness that came with being a normal human. Interesting that it wasn't dyed. But what made him different from all the other boys identical to him? Why were women so attracted to him?

Was it the way he never made direct eye-contact? Or the intelligence hidden inside? There was no anger or fear that clouded his feelings. The urge to run and hide for survival was prominent, though. Might it just have been me?  
"Does it annoy you girls are so shallow? That all they want out of you is what you can offer that they can hold?"

"What?"

"Um—"

"Are you asking if I hate that they use me?"

"Yes. In less words. A little oversimplified," I said.

"The answer is sort of. Afterwards, I get annoyed, but more at myself." His head tilted again. "Does that make sense?"

"Yes. It's a common answer. I only ask because I'm taking psychology and wonder how those girls get that way."

"What do you mean?" I'd forgotten that most people don't understand anything that comes after psychology.

"It's hard to explain," I said, trying to dodge the question and skirt around it.

"No, I'm curious," he said, crossing his arms. I'd make a horrible politician. I can't avoid conversation for my life.

"Women are attracted to a man who can provide for them and their children." He nodded as he followed along. "You have money to take care of them financially and enough strength to take care of them physically. But they're not attracted to you as a person," I said.

"Does that mean you're attracted to me, too?" He grinned.

"No. I'm a bit different," I said.

"I'm guessing you're interested in guys, so it's not that you're gay. Unless the ex is because you went gay."

"Nope. Very straight. Positive."

"I'm never going to guess this, am I?" he asked.

"Probably not," I said, looking towards the front of the line. No movement. Damn. I really didn't want to have this conversation with a random movie star I'd met a few minutes before.

"Okay, then. I'll still try, but it'll be in my head. I'll only guess if I'm positive."

"That works."

"So, onto another subject. Um, do you have a job?" he asked, looking me in the eye. I tried to maintain contact, but had to look away.

"Yeah. Two, actually. Teller at a bank and semi-vet," I said, internally laughing at the double meaning. Most of the men I know could be considered dogs, too.

"Semi? What does that mean?" His head tilted.

"I take care of the pets, but don't really do any doctor-like things."

"Oh. You're the one in the back who feeds the ones who need to stay over-night. The one nobody notices."

"Yep, that's me. Occasionally, I have to take them home with me, too."

"That must be fun," he said.

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Pets are like people. They can get really annoying really fast," I said.

"True. I hadn't thought of that."

"When'd you move here?" I asked. "I think I would have remembered if Taylor Lautner were living in Colorado."

", I just got here today. I barely had time to check out the house and put my suitcase down before I came here for the movie," he said.

"I can understand if you don't want to answer this, but where's the house?"

"Just off Wadsworth. A few streets off it. It's near Pamona High School," he said. I smiled.

"Interesting. I also happen to live in that general area," I replied.

"Really?" he asked. "Maybe I'll see you around when I try to avoid my delirious fans." We both laughed and the line moved forward, the first people going into the theater.

We didn't speak as we got closer to the double doors ahead of us. For a minute, there was a small commotion and the line stopped. Taylor looked at an advertisement hanging on the wall.

When I finally got into the theater, I recognized the person checking ticket stubs.

"Hey, Nick," I said, handing him the tiny piece of paper.

"Hey. Haven't seen you for a while," he responded, trying to flip his blond hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah. Holed up in my house." I noticed Taylor wasn't behind me, so I turned to find him. He was still looking at the ad.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him after me. Nick stared at him for a second before clearing his voice to speak.

"There are two seat up near the top," he said, pointing. "They look to be the last two."

I thanked him and started up the stairs on the side. Taylor turned to the side and tried to hide his face. Not many people noticed us, and no one recognized him.

The movie was fairly good. By the end, the tension in the room was too thick. Taylor seemed to feel the same way. He kept shifting his position when things got awkward on screen.

I tried to calm him down, but it was hard to in the palpable emotions in the air.

By the time the credits were rolling and the house lights were on, both of us were out of the theater. He breathed a sigh of relief as we leaned against a low railing at the entrance to the building.

"Wow. I'm just glad only a few girls noticed me," he said.

"I agree. Had we been at the mall, appraising the shirts you're on, I'm sure we'd have been massacred. Not to mention stabbed."

"Stabbed? Why stabbed?"

"Well, I think it's more plausible. Not many women carry around guns or crossbows when they shop, so shanking was next on my list."

"But why would we get stabbed?" he asked.

"I would because I'm with you. Jealousy makes even the coolest, smartest of women murderous. I've seen it. You, because you're not Robert Pattinson. Some people get very passionate about favorites."

He laughed. "And who would survive?"

"You, of course. Your adoring fans would save you, even as you sob over my body," I said, crossing my arms against the cold.

"Crying over your body? I don't even know your name."

"Well, feelings go deeper than names. I'm sure you're already named me something in your mind."

He looked shocked. "How'd you know?"

"I know psychology, remember?"

"Ah, yes."

"Well, what names have you picked out?" I asked, looking out across the parking lot.

"Marie," he said. "What I consider exotic and old-fashioned."

"See? It's strange how close your mind can get with these things."

"That's your name?" he said, surprised.

"Not my first name. My middle one, yes."

"Well, then. What's your first name?"

"Raina. My ex's like to call me Rains, but they know I hate it coming from them."

"Coming from them? What's different about them?"

"It's not a name for them. Just something they can annoy me with," I explained.

"So, if I were to call you this so-called horrendous name, you'd hate me for it?" His head tilted.

"No. You don't mean to anger me by it."

"Good. That's what I'll call you from now on. I kinda like it."

"Well, that's good. I suppose."

"Of course it is. If you're me, at least." We both laughed a little. I didn't understand why. My phone rang again.

"Good Goddess," I mumbled. "Aren't I just the popular one tonight."

I shivered as I reached into my pocket to answer. The sky was darkening. A light gold was just visible on the horizon, almost blocked by buildings.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, hello to you, too, sis-in-law."

"Don't mess with me, Dustin, dearest. You may be dating my best friend, but I'll still kill you."

"I love you, too. Ah, how thoughtful of you to say that I'm the most important man in your life."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, lover boy, but I've replaced you in that category."

"Aw, why? Whatever have I done to you?"

"Oh, let's see. Stole my car, broke my foot, then my garage door, drove over my back garden and into my newly refurbished library."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was. You exposed all my books to direct sunlight for a whole month."

"I'm sure it wasn't a month."

"Four weeks is a month, Dustin."

"Sure. Anyway, I called to tell you I'm not gonna need your car tonight, so I left it out in the parking lot for you."

"Which parking lot?"

"The movie theater one."

"Thanks."

"Ooh, she does have manners."

"Test me and I'll send a disease infested rodent to castrate you while you're awake. Don't put it past me."

"Won't."

"Good. Tell your girlfriend you're a bastard and the movie's over. Goodbye."

I hung up.

"Another ex?"

"No. Best friend's boyfriend. I find it hard to be nice."

"I can tell."

"I have a mode of transportation home. Do you need a ride?" I asked.

"That would be lovely." He pushed himself off the railing and followed me to the top of the steps.

It took me half a minute to find my car. It looked fine as I inspected it. The engine purred softly, just like it always did. I tried to back out of the parking spot.

The mirrors weren't where they were supposed to be.

I slammed on the brakes and growled in anger.

"What? What is it?" Taylor asked.

"He fucked with my car."

"Huh?"

"Moved the mirrors. He knows I hate it when he doesn't at least try to fix them." I fumed in silence for a while as Taylor looked at the car.

It was black outside and in. Not leather, but a smooth, velvet-type material covered the seats. The interior was clean and empty except for a single Mountain Dew bottle I'd left in it.

"Nice. What is it?" he asked.

"New Jaguar. Only sold 38 of them in the continental U.S."

"Really?"

"Yep." I'd fixed the mirrors and backed out.

Once we were on the main street, I turned to him.

"Which side of Wads do you live on?" I asked, waiting for the traffic to pass by so I could turn.

"Uh. The east side."

"Near 80th?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

"I know where we're going?" I said.

My car sped down Sheridan, turned onto 80th Avenue and barely slowed before taking a right onto Vance.

I pulled into my driveway and stopped the car.

"I believe your house is next door," I said, closing my car door.

"How'd your know?" he asked.

"Not many houses get sold around here. It was the talk of the town for months."

"Months? Really?"

"No one knew who you were, but they were certainly excited you were coming."

"Wow," he said. "Small neighborhood."

"Yep. By the way, how do you expect to sleep in that house?" I walked around the car to him.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a hole in the side. It's the middle of winter. You'll freeze in your sleep."

"Oh. I didn't really think of that."

"Stay with me."

"Huh?"

"Stay at my house tonight. I know that the plumbing for that one isn't set up and the heater doesn't always work. The chimney is stopped up, there's almost no insulation and the electricity isn't connected very well."

"Seems like there's a lot wrong with it. No wonder I got suggestions from so many repair companies."

I smiled at him. "What do you say? One night at my house?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, why not?" I laughed.

"There are many reasons for that I'm betting my house is currently filled to the brim with men. All of whom will be gone soon."

"Big comfort."

"Please tell me that was sarcastic." He laughed.

I unlocked the metal gate leading to my front stairs and locked it after him. He glanced at the black, intricate railing and the green, velvet carpeting. That was draped over the stairs.

A tall man wearing a white button-up shirt, baggy black pants, and black boots was sitting in one of the two chairs at the top of the staircase.

"Hello, Nat," I said. He nodded and took a sip of the beer he was holding. "This is Taylor Lautner. I met him at the movies."

Nat held out a tanned hand, which Taylor shook. They eyed each other for a second.

"Are the guys inside?" I asked. Nat nodded again and I grabbed Taylor's arm. The next door was also metal, but was already unlocked.

"It was nice to meet you," Taylor said through the screen once we were inside.  
"You, too."

Our entrance into the foyer was greeted by an uproar of male voices. A group of men was sitting in front of the T.V. in my living room to our right.

"You brought another one home for us, huh, Rains?"

"Where'd you find this one? Another King Soopers?"

"Hey, Rains, how big are his feet?" An outburst of laughter came from them all. I grabbed the remote from the couch armrest and switched the channel to wrestling. Two girls were fighting each other for some award.

"Guys, this is Taylor Lautner. You know him. We're not dating and I don't want you bothering him while he's here, okay?" I said. All of the guys already had their eyes glued to the T.V. screen.

"Did they even hear you?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah. Not new boyfriend. No bothering, gotcha," a tall, fair skinned man said. I rolled my eyes.

"At least Fang got that much," I said, taking my jacket off and putting it in the foyer closet. "Come on. We'll leave them to their strange sexual fantasies. I suppose you're tired."

"I could sleep." I glanced over at him and smiled. He was exhausted.

"Well, then. We'll get you showered and in bed quickly."

"That'd be great," he said, yawning. I smiled again.

The staircase next to the front door led up to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The first door on the right led to a small bathroom with just a sink, a toilet, and a shower/tub. The next door on the right was the master bedroom.

I led Taylor into the adjoining bathroom and told him to take a shower. There were clean towels hanging on a rack next to the shower.

"What about clothes?" he asked. He said he didn't want to go over and get hid, so I was able to scrounge out an overly large t-shirt and some basketball shorts of mine that barely fit on him.

When he came out of the bathroom, I was watching The Mentalist on my T.V.. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

"What's happening?"

"Girl was found buried in a digging site and Jane's going crazy," I said, not really paying attention to him at all.

"Ah. Scoot over." I slid farther onto the king-sized bed. He lifted his legs onto the mattress.

The bed was actually two pressed together. Each was controlled by a separate remote. The head and foot of each could raise or lower or massage as needed. We were both squished onto one bed and I rolled over onto my side, away from him.


	2. Harry Potter

I woke up the next morning, way too warm. There was something on top of me. I opened my eyes and glanced to my right.

Taylor was laying on me, his arms wrapped around my waist. It took me a second to locate my own limbs. I tried to gently push my way out from under him. He groaned and pulled me closer.

"Taylor," I whined. "Taylor, wake up." He moaned and turned his head into my hair. "Taylor."

He wasn't moving off. He was getting closer to me, and it was getting harder to push him away. He groaned into my neck and pressed his waist into my thigh. I sighed and decided to just relax and wait for him to wake up.

A few minutes later, he shivered and curled up, avoiding the cold air coming under the covers. I tucked him under the blanket and smoothed his hair back where it was pressed on his neck.

"Rains?" he asked. He sat up groggily. "What time is it?" He was still laying on me. He didn't look very bothered by it.

"I dunno." I tried to lean forward to look at the clock on the side table next to the bed, but his chest was in the way. As I was laying back down underneath him, my alarm went off.

'Baby, you're all that I want. When you're laying there in my arms,' it sang.

I sighed and glanced up at him.

"Rise and shine!" a voice shouted from down the hall. Jacob bounded through the door and froze, a small smile on his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything. Especially not with such cheesy music."

"Jake," I protested. "It's a classic. Leave me alone."

"All right!" he said, closing the door behind him.

I put my hands over my eyes, then looked up at Taylor.

His arms were on either side of my waist, holding him up. He was looking at me with his head tilted to the side.

"It is cheesy music."

"No, it's not! It's the only thing that can keep me awake for work." I sat bolt upright and looked at the clock. "I have to get to work—oof!"

He'd dropped back on top of me.

"Not yet, you're real comfortable."

"I really have to go to work. You know, make money to feed myself, the boys who mooch off me, and pay all my bills."

"I forgot that normal people have to deal with all this stuff." He rolled off me and groaned. I got up to take a shower and get ready.

When I came back out, he was lying on the bed, both of them flat, sleeping.

"Wake up! I'm sure you have fan mail to check. Come on!"

"Fine! Fine! I'm up. Stop all the yelling." He swung his legs onto the floor and rubbed his eyes. "I don't answer fan mail. I get too much of it."

"You are way too lazy to sleep in my bed," I said, opening the curtains.

"Argh! Thanks, Raina. Real helpful."

"You're welcome. If you want breakfast, be downstairs in half an hour." He was ambling off to the bathroom in just his boxers when I left the room. I wondered when he'd changed.

The only two guys left in my house were Jacob and Warren when I got to the kitchen. I pulled the bacon out of the refrigerator and slapped it onto the stove with a frying pan.

"What?" I asked when I noticed that the two of them were staring at me.

"Nothing," Warren said, lighting a cigarette. Jacob put his dishes in the sink and left.

"Warren, tell me what you guys were talking about." I leaned over the counter.

"Why do you think we were talking?"

"I know you. And I also want to know what the two of you said to each other."

"I don't have to tell you," he said, standing up, taking one last drag of the smoke and putting it out on his hand.

"What if I made it worth your while, hm?"

"What do you mean, 'worth my while'?"

"Getting you your job back."

"I don't really need the job."

"If I kick you out onto the street, you will."

"You wouldn't do that to me," he said.

"Watch me.:

"Fine, fine," he said, raising his hands in defeat. "We just thought it was weird that you brought home a famous movie star and end up in bed with the guy."

"We fell asleep watching T.V.. You know that I'm prone to doing that."

"Just saying," he said, trailing off.

"Go smoke somewhere else," I said, turning back to the bacon. "Before I set you on fire again."

"I told you. I wasn't actually on fire—okay, I'm going."

I glared after him and put out the small flame I'd started.

I put the bagels into the toaster oven I owned and tried to find a can of cherries. It had been a painful morning and I needed something to help stop the stupid cravings.

Taylor came downstairs just as the bacon was getting done.

"Good morning," he said, hugging me and sitting at the bar across from me.

"Good morning to you, too. What made this 180 happen?"

"I found the strawberry shampoo in the shower."

"That's why you're considerably happier and more awake? Shampoo?"

"No. But it does smell really good."

"I know."

"I'm always happy. Well, usually happy. Or should I say content."

"I think happy can suffice for now."

"Good. What's for breakfast? Do you need any help?"

"Nope. Just sit there and look pretty."

"Oh, can't do that, now, when the pretty one is fixing me breakfast."

"Shut up of I'll burn your bacon."

"What about the bagels?"

"Damn! I forgot."

I managed to get the bagels out of the toaster oven before they were completely blackened. When the bacon stopped steaming and sizzling, Taylor jumped up and stole a paper towel from the roll and put the bacon on it. He patted the bacon down to get the grease off.

"Thanks," I said. I looked at him and felt the urge to hug him from behind.

"Not a problem. I feel I should do something. I am a guest here and should do my share."

"Yes, you're a guest and should sit to wait for your food to appear in front of you."

"No. You're busy and I'm helping."

"Taylor," I said. I pulled out the butter and put it down on the counter. I placed my left hand on my hip and glared across the kitchen at his back.

"What?" he asked when he turned and found me staring at him.

"I can take care of it myself," I said.

"I know you can, but I feel bad."

"I know that, but still..."

"Still what?"

"I'm not entirely comfortable with you helping me while you're a guest."

"I'm sorry. I'm not comfortable without helping out around here. I think it's only fair—"

"Okay, okay, you win. Fine, help if you want to."

"Thanks," he said, smiling.

I pulled out two plates, finished buttering the bagels and served the food. I stuck a spoon in the can of cherries and set it down between our plates.

"Thank you for breakfast," he said.

"Not a problem."

"Where do you work?" he asked.

"Um, didn't you ask me that yesterday?"

"Yeah. But, _where_ do you work. The name of the bank."

"Oh. Bellco Credit Union. It's down hear 88th and Sheridan."

"Huh. And what about the veterinary position?"

"I go there after 4:30. It closes at 10:00, so I get enough hours in my day to pay for all the food and the bills."

"When do you go to school? You mentioned you were taking college classes."

"Online whenever I have spare time."

"Oh."

We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"What are you planning to do today?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Hire someone to fix the hole in the side of the house first. After that, anything else that needs to be done."

"Are you gonna want to stay over tonight, too? I doubt that cavern will be covered in one day," I said, putting our plates in the sink.

"I'd rather not. Not that it's uncomfortable here or anything. I just don't want to mooch off of you like the other guys here."

"It's not a problem at all. I'm certainly not going to let you stay there."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"Good. Feel freed to come and go as much as you please."

"How?" I stopped looking for my shoes as he said this.

"I don't understand."

"The first gate was locked. How will I get in again?"

"I unlock it when I leave in the mornings and lock it when I come home. Jus tbe sure to be here before 10:00 tonight. Not might not let you in after that."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Sure."

"I'm going to go home now," he said.

"Okay. I'll walk you to the door."

When we got outside, he waved to Nat and closed the doors behind us. I pulled the car keys out of my pocket and turned to him to say goodbye.

"I'll be back when every thing's done," he said. Hannah was waiting for me by the mailbox. I knew she didn't want to interrupt whatever was going on.

"Okay. And I'll be back around 10:15," I said.

He held his arms out for a hug and I complied. He was warm and I was glad to have it in the snow falling around us. After a few moments, he let go, smiled, and trotted around the tree in the middle of the yard to his own house. He waved from the porch.

"Oh, my God!" Hannah squealed, running up to me. She didn't even mind getting snow in her shoes. "What was that? What that Taylor Lautner?"

"Yeah. I met him at the move you didn't come to." I unlocked the car and got in the driver's seat.

"I knew I should have gone!"

"And yet, you didn't. Haven't I always told you to go with your premonitions?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. But I forget that a lot. Anyway, what are we going to do for groceries tonight if we're feeding Taylor Lautner?"

"Groceries? Oh, shit. I forgot that!"

"Don't you always? Where are you going?"

I jumped out of the car and walked to the house next to mine. Hannah followed me, but much slower. When I got to the old door, I knocked and stepped back from it.

Immediately, it opened and he stood, staring at me for a moment, holding a cell phone to his ear.

"Hold on, Rains," he said. I stepped in the door that he held open for Hannah and I. He finished his conversation with a contractor and hung up, placing the phone on a kitchen counter.

"You must be the friend slash sister with the annoying boyfriend," he said, holding his hand out to Hannah.

"Hannah," she said, grabbing his hand.

"I heard a lot about you last night." He winked at me then turned halfway around to plug the cell into its charger.

"You didn't tell me—" Hannah began.

"There wasn't anything to tell," I said. "He spent the night because his house isn't decent enough for human habitation."

"Not to mention the, uh, early morning activities." He was positively smirking now.

"Early morn—there were early morning activities?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Rains?" Taylor asked. "Don't think I didn't notice that thing you did with my hair."

I glared at him for a few more moments. Two could play this annoying game he'd started.

"Oh, that," I said, smiling gently. "Oh, now I remember. And then you fell on top of me. I guess you just couldn't keep yourself up over me anymore."

"Absolutely not. Especially with your state of dress. Or lack thereof."

I took a few slows steps towards him. "I hear all humans have some form of a, uh, photographic memory." I was standing in front of him now, him leaning against the kitchen counter. Vaguely, I heard Hannah excused herself to answer her phone. I started playing with the picture on his t-shirt. "Do you wish to remember this morning perfectly?"

"All except for that annoying twin of mine interrupting us."

"Twin?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, hands still fingering the stencil on his shirt.

"The guy who looks kinda like me."

"Oh, Jake," I said, running my fingers over his chest.

"Yes," he whispered. "That's his name. His interruption made me an unhappy man."

"Really?" I said. "And do you wish to become, uh, happier."

"Yes, please," he said, nearly groaning when I pressed closer to him.

"Okay, love birds. As much as I wish we could continue this, we have to get to work. Raina, stop flirting with him and let's go."

"Fine," I said, turning to look back at her. "Goodbye, Taylor."  
He walked us to the door and waited for us to leave before giving me a nice hug.

"Oh," I said, turning back around. "We're going shopping later tonight, so be ready around seven, is that okay?"

"Well, yeah. It works for me, but don't you have a job to at then?" He leaned against the door frame and looked at me, lowering himself to my height.

"Not today. Donovan is covering for me. The store we go to closes at nine and it takes us forever to get everything, so we like to give ourselves plenty of time. Besides, no one really goes there at night. We might be the only ones."

He glanced between my eyes and then relaxed and stood up fully. "Well, then, I guess I'll see you tonight. Oh, but the way, I'll have a little surprise for you."

"Surprises? I hate surprises."

"Good," he said, laughing. A car horn honked and we turned to see Hannah in my car, waiting.

"Bye, Taylor," I said, hugging him again and running across the yards to my car.

"God, flirt much?" she asked when I pulled out of the driveway. I knew she was smiling and laughed.

"You call that flirting? That was just playful banter."

"Playful banter? You practically suggest he sleep with you on the kitchen counter."

"Is the great Hannah Michaels jealous that I have the audacity to think that Taylor Lautner is amazingly sexy?"

"Yes. And no. I mean, I'm happy for you, but why him? You already crushed my dream once. And here it goes again."

"You're a weirdo," I said.

"Oh, _I'm_ the weirdo, yeah. You're the one who lives with how many of your ex-boyfriends?"

"I don't know. They come and they go."

"And yet, you don't let any current boys stay over."

"Well, of course. I'm not going to let them stay with me. The other guys'll tear him to shreds."

"Literally or figuratively."

"Hannah. You know what I meant." We were getting near the building now and she started picking our stuff up so we could get out faster.

"Oh, I hope we're not late."

"Doesn't it suck Jake ripped the clock out of my car that one time?"

"Oh, yeah." We both sighed and silently mourned for the lost clock. I parked and we got out, waved at the security officer who was opening our doors and stepped behind the counter. She turned left and I sat down at one of the desks out front.

Towards the end of my shift, a man cleared his throat. I'd asked him to patiently wait for a minute, but it was taking longer to finish my last transaction.

I looked up at the man and glared.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "And why are you in my office instead of bothering one of the lovely ladies up front?"

Taylor laughed. "Because my business doesn't include them. Now, where is Hannah? I have flowers to give her. Ah, here are yours, by the way." He handed me a bouquet of lilies. Another one of roses was in his other hand.

"I'll get her. Give me a second." I picked up my phone as he sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. "Hannah. You might want to come in here for a second."

A moment later, Hannah opened the door. "What? I was just getting to k—Taylor!"

"Hello. These are for you." He handed her the red roses and she squealed. Half the female employees had lined up at the door to watch Taylor Lautner.

"Thank you!"

"It was no problem. I got Rains lilies, too." I put my head in my hands out of shame.

"How did you know it was her favorite flower?" Hannah asked.

"A little birdie told me." The group of women standing outside my door started giggling and talking to one another.

"Okay. Time to go. Everybody out." I got a few glares and questioning looks." You, too, Hannah. Only for a bit. Then, we'll leave. Promise." I closed the door behind them all.

"Why are you making them go?" he asked.

"Because you didn't come here just for flowers." I raised one eyebrow and looked at him, perched on the edge of my desk.

"You're right. I have a few things I'd like to ask for you to do."

"Yeah?"

"Uh, oh, God. This is hard for me."

"Just let it out and I'm sure it'll make sense to me."

"Okay. Um, please don't kill me. I know how you feel about this."

"Just get to the chase." He looked around the room for a minute, avoiding my gaze.

"I'd like to make a donation to the pet place you work." He paused for a minute. "And I'd like to pay for the groceries tonight. And hire you to answer my fan mail."

"How much time to do that do you think I have?" I asked. He winced, waiting for me to hurt him. "Now, who told you I like lilies?"

"Oh, that was Warren. He said I should get you them if I thought you were going to rip my head off."

"Oh, no. I'll still rip your head off. If you buy me anymore flowers this year, I'll attempt to kill you."

"Well, thanks for the warning."

"No problem. By the way, it's called a veterinarian office."

"Good to know."

"Yes, I'll let you pay for the groceries, but only because I don't want to fight with you. Also, you're answering your own fan mail, lover boy." He pouted for a minute. When nothing happened on my part, he sighed and gave up.

"Fine. I'll answer some of it."

"Whenever you get the time."

"Fine. Whenever I get the time."

"Good."

"Is it time for us to go yet?"

"I guess we can leave. Let me tell Tom first." I grabbed my jacket off the back of my door and led Taylor out to the main part of the bank.

"Who's Tom?" he asked.

"My manager. I get paid for how long I'm here, so I have to tell him when I leave. Most of the jobs I've had required me to do that."

"Oh. I didn't know how this works, so I'm totally lost right now."

A tall man walked over to us, smiling.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Lautner?" he asked.

"Tom," I said, trying to redirect his attention.

"Oh, you're tom?" Taylor said.

"Yes, I am. Is there anything I can help you with?" He wanted Taylor's business. Having a movie star walk into your business is like every Christmas combined.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could steal Hannah and Raina for the rest of the evening." I rolled my eyes and tried to keep myself from dragging Taylor to my car and driving away with him. "We have a previous engagement that's really important to me and I'd appreciate it if they could go looking their best and it's not going to happen if we don't get going very soon."

I turned and looked at Taylor. What was he talking about? I hoped he was just spewing things out to get Tom to let us leave. If I had to get dressed up and go somewhere other than my own home, I'd crash my car and try to spend the evening in the hospital.

"Well, of course they can leave. They won't be paid for th hours they miss," Tom said. I thanked him quickly and motioned to Hannah, who grabbed my flowers on her way out.

"Is this the surprise you had for me?" I asked him as we walked out to the parking lot.

"Part of it. I have another one, but you won't find out about it until tomorrow."

"Why? What are you planning, mister?"

"Nothing life threatening, I promise. In fact, I'm extending the life of something."

"I swear, if you hurt any of my things, I will personally rip your balls off and feed them to a dog."

"Which dog?" I glared at him for a moment before getting in the driver's seat of my car. Hannah was already in the passenger's side.

"Trust me. I'll find one." Hannah turned in her seat so she could see both Taylor and I.

"Isn't it weird how she can go from being very flirtatious and nice to being pissy and destructive?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Are you pregnant, Rains?" Taylor asked.

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm fat or something? All you had to do was come out and say it."

"No. Maybe it's just PMS. You're too skinny to be pregnant. Although, I think if you were to get pregnant, people wouldn't know if it was the baby fat coming back or if you'd just eaten a big lunch."

"Doubtful."

"I have to agree with him, Raina," Hannah said, smiling at me.

"Great. Even my best friend has gone to the dark side." I grumbled and turned onto 88th Avenue.

"Rains, turn left. Turn left, turn left, turn left!" Taylor yelled from the backseat. I barely made the turn, almost hitting the car going towards me.

"What the hell?" I shouted.

"What? Go home. We have to get you girls all prettied up."

"Whatever for?"

"I'm pretty sure that we're going to be surrounded by paparazzi the instant we get in that store."

"Oh, Taylor. What'd you do?" Hannah asked.

"Nothing, I swear. I was trying to get an inspector to come over earlier in the day so I could finish the inspection before we met up. He asked what my hurry was and I said I had an engagement. The guy asked about it and we spent the next few minutes talking about how awesome you guys are," he said.

"Oh, thank you, Taylor," Hannah said, reaching back to squeeze his hands. After a few minutes, she still hadn't let go and he was glancing at me for help. She batted her eyelashes.

"Okay, hun. You have a boyfriend who loves you. Think of Dustin. Think of Dustin," I said, pulling into my driveway.

"Dress up time!" Hannah shouted as she got out of the car. She ran up the stairs to the door before I'd even unbuckled my seat belt.

"She got over that fast," Taylor commented, helping me out. I glared at him for a second. I didn't need his help getting out of my own car.

"It's the idea of getting dressed up and seeing me in something other than my tattered clothing."

"I like your tattered clothing. It suits you."

"I'd suggest not telling another girl that. Ever." He glanced at me. "I get it. I do. I'm not mad."

"Hey, Taylor, is it okay for me to wear a dress?" Hannah asked, giggling when she met us inside.

"Anything you want, hun."

"Thanks!" She leaned over and kissed his cheek, blushed, and ran up to my room.

"And she says I flirt," I mumbled.

"What?"  
"Nothing." Taylor laughed and followed me to my room. He lay down on the bed and turned on the T.V.

After Hannah and I finished getting dressed, I went to check on Taylor. He'd fallen asleep watching _NCIS_. I poked his arm and pulled on his hand.

"C'mon, Taylor. We gotta go. Get up." He groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over him. I walked over to the other side of the bed and shook his shoulder again. "Taylor."

"What?" he asked, groggily catching my hand in his. He didn't even open his eyes.

"We have to go. Unless you don't want any food, of course."

"Just a few minutes."

"No. Now." He groaned again and cracked his eyelids.

"No." He rolled over, still attached to my hand. I followed behind, landing on him with a grunt.

"Taylor!" I screamed. He rolled over under me and I struggled to get out of our position.

"What are you yelling about?" he asked, trying to hold my waist and lift me off him. He only succeeded in pulling me closer. My face ended up in his shoulder. I groaned and sat up. I was straddling his chest. I crossed my arms and glared down at him. Somehow, I'd ended up tangled in sheets as well. We were, in effect, cocooned together.

"We need to leave and, somehow, I get roped into bed with you. Literally." He stared at me for a second before bursting into laughter. "What?" I could hardly keep a straight face. His laughter was shaking through me.

"I didn't imagine this happening when I sat down."

I worked on trying to free myself from my bed. I managed to get the blanket unwrapped from around my waist and pulled back from him a little.

Instantly, he groaned and held my hips still. I blushed and sat up so I was kneeling, not sitting on him. "Sorry," I murmured.

"It's okay. Just, don't sit down." Between the two of us, we got out legs untangled. Footsteps ran towards us from down the hall and Hannah bounded in.

"Guys, what's taking so...?"

We both froze, but my balance was off. I fell to the side on the bed, managing to knee him in the crotch. He curled up like a Roly Poly at once.

"Oh, God. Taylor, I'm sorry. Jesus." He held up a hand when I crawled back to him. I sat on my legs, biting my lip. Finally, he looked up at Hannah and me.

"I'm okay," he groaned. Hannah sighed and hurried out. "What have you been eating? In the past six hours, you gained a million pounds." He hobbled out of my bed and managed to stand.

"Gravity," I said. Hannah returned with a bag of ice. "Really?"

"It's what Dustin does and that looked real bad."

"Is that an insult to my weight? God, guys, if you thought I was fat, you could have just said something. No need for mean jokes."

"Rains, you aren't fat. You aren't even a little overweight. You're perfect." Hannah smiled as she spoke. She threw the ice to Taylor and bounced out.

"No, I'm not," I mumbled.

"Yes, you are!" Taylor said, wincing as he sat down.

"If only you knew."

"What?"

"Hm?"

"Know what?" He was positively glaring at me.

"Nothing. It just bugs me when she says that. I know my weight is fine. Right on the dot, actually."

"Then what upsets you?"

"She only makes judgments based on my physical appearance. Everything I tell her doesn't change who I _am_. At least, that's the way I see it."

"Guys! C'mon!" Hannah screamed. I sighed.

When we got to the store, Hannah automatically ran for the carts. She gave one to Taylor and took one for herself.

"Who are you going to be with, Raina?" she asked. I pointed at Taylor and continued to look for the coupons to give to her.

"Okay. We'll take the back and you can do the front. Remember, everything you buy is on Taylor, so don't, you know, buy everything," I said.

"Of course not. Just most of the stuff." I rolled my eyes. I knew she wasn't kidding. "Have fun," she said, waggling her fingers at us as she walked towards produce.

"So, what are we doing?" Taylor asked.

"Getting our perishables."

No one was really there. Two clerks were talking to each other from their respective desks. A butcher was cutting a fish into smaller pieces. He didn't even look up. I was hoping we'd be able to sneak around without anyone recognizing him. Only a few people were there. It was definitely a possibility.

Everything was going splendidly until I heard a girl scream. Taylor and I both looked toward where the sound was coming from, fearing the worst.

I recognized the girl standing at the top of the aisle and sighed. Sbe'd been one of the girls who'd asked for his autograph at the movie. She ran down towards us and giggled uncontrollably.

"It's you again!" she said, glancing at me. "Wait, weren't you at the movie theater? Waiting for Avatar."

"Um, yeah. I was. I was right in front of Taylor. I remember you." I held my hand out, knowing she wouldn't touch it.

"Are you, like, his girlfriend or something?" she asked, chewing her gum dramatically.

"Well—" I started, only to be interrupted.

"Actually, yes, she is. We've been together for a little more than a month. I've been trying to protect her from the paparazzi. Do you mind not telling anyone about us?" I turned and stared at him for a second. He just smiled at me, picked up a shredded cheese from the stand next to us, and kissed my cheek.

"I didn't get your name," Taylor said.

"Oh, um, Ashly. Without an 'e', with a 'y'."

"I like that spelling." She was batting her eyelashes at him and trying to push me out of the conversation and his line of sight, but he snaked a hand around my waist to keep me from walking away.

"Well, it was lovely to see you again," he said.

"Yeah, I gotta go find service for this," she said, holding up her phone.

"So she can tell the world about a fake relationship," I muttered as she walked away. Her fake emo-ness was going to piss me off too much.

A few seconds later, Hannah found us and furrowed her brow.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" she asked.

"What?" I followed her eyes and found Taylor's arm still around my waist.

"Oh, sorry," he said and removed it.

I told Hannah what happened with the fangirl and glared when she said 'all good relationships start that way' when Taylor was looking at cookies.

The cashier didn't even look up until after she'd scanned all the items. She saw us, sighed, rolled her eyes, and reached for the cloth bags we always brought. Taylor stepped up to the register to pay and I watched in amusement as she blushed and patted her skirt down.

"Thank you, Mr. Lautner," she said when we were leaving. "Please come again."

"I intend to," he whispered. I hit him over the head. "What? It's the truth."

"We both know you weren't talking about the store, perv," I said.

I almost missed it. Well, until Hannah stopped in front of me and I almost slammed into her. "What?"

She was looking at the four men huddled at the end of the sidewalk to our right.

"They look familiar. Who are they?" she asked.

"Get to the car, but don't get it. Just put the groceries in the back. Meet me over by the Rose Garden," I said, pulling out my cell phone. Taylor looked at me questioningly. I just shoved him toward the street and called my house.

"Hello?"

"Warren, get Fang and Nick and come down to Safeway. The Council is popping up."

"The Council? Oh, God. I just made noodles!"

"I don't care. I've got Taylor and Hannah here. If you love me—"

"Got it. Be there in a few minutes. I assume you won't be there?"

"Yep. Gotta go." Click. I dialed another number and waited for him to answer.

"Raina?"  
"Dustin. I need you to come pick up my car. Bring Calvin. But I want you want to drive it. Don't ask questions."

"Where are you?" I could hear him get out of bed and fall onto his computer chair.

"The Safeway near my house. 80th and Wads. I know you remember the place. I'm parked in the aisle on the right directly in front of the crosswalk."

"Gottcha. I'll drop it off later tonight."

"Thank you, Dustin. Goodbye." I heard his front door close after him before he hung up.

I looked up at the four men again, willing them to understand the message I was sending them. The tallest looked up at me and fully face towards me. My eyes narrowed and I flexed my hands. The popping sounds of the bones realigning reached him in less than a second and he turned back to the rest of the group. I was willing to fight for this area. It was our territory, not theirs.

Taylor and Hannah were still loading the car, so I tried to pinpoint why those men were here. Sadly to say, it probably had to do with me and my 'lifestyle'. Frowned upon in almost all cultures. Especially those with groups or families that stick together. Damn. And it was going so well. Hannah stepped in front of me and brought me back to the earth.

"We're going to have to walk home. It's not that far. I know you can do it in high heels, Hannah."

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"They just aren't people any of us need to get involved with. They know what my car looks like and sounds like. I don't need them following us back home. Dustin's coming to pick up my car and take it home."  
"Wait, Dustin's Hannah's boyfriend, right?"

"Correct." He smiled.

"Cool."

Hannah pulled Taylor down the sidewalk, talking about how he and Dustin would get along so well. I watched Calvin drive into the far corner of the parking lot and followed them.

Just as we were about the cross the street in front of the police station, a flash went off in my eyes. I was blinding for a moment.

"Guys! It's Taylor Lautner and two girls!" a mysterious male voice said. I groaned. Not this, too. Flashes exploded in the dark and I winced.

"Hey," Taylor said.

"Taylor! Are these your new girlfriends?"

"No. Just this one," he said, pulling me closer.

"Miss! Miss! What's your name?"

"Sorry, boys, but we gotta get going. Gonna watch a movie when we get home." He squeezed my waist and I smiled up at him.

"Have a good night," Hannah said, linking her arm in mine.

"Since when did I become your girlfriend?" I asked.

"Since we started getting tackled by people. I don't need the world to see me with two gorgeous girls, neither of whom is my significant other."

"Ah. The manwhore experience. You're right. They're ripping you apart." We were two blocks away from the cameramen. They were busy talking to each other.

"Would you prefer I ask you out before telling people we're together?" he asked.

"Wha—no. Don't even think about it, Taylor." I tried to keep walking, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. He held my hands as he knelt in front of me. I pulled away, but he pulled me back.

"Raina, will you please please please be my one and only love? My only friend? My—"

"Okay, stop it. The paparazzi are starting to wonder if you're proposing."

"But, my love, you still haven't answered the question straight from my hea—"

"Taylor!"

"What, darling?" I glared at him for a second. "Fine. Fine. I'll stay."

I helped him up and he half turned toward the men behind us. A few of them were recording us.

"I smacked him on the arm and then crossed mine. "Aw, babe. Don't be like that. We gotta put on a performance for the cameras, you know."

"Performance?"

"Yep." He glanced behind us and then kissed me full on the lips. After a few seconds, he pulled away and shoved me toward Hannah, who was waiting for us, slightly amused.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"I told you. Performance." He smiled at me and shoved me with his shoulder. I pushed him into the lane next to us. He barely avoided hitting a car. I laughed.

Then I noticed the expression on his face and started running, him right behind me.

"Hey! Guys! Wait!" Hannah said, trying to follow us.

I got to the corner and slammed straight into a man. I groaned and managed to stabilized myself.

"Sorry," I said, looking up at him.

"Hadyn!" Hannah screamed.

"Hadyn? I thought you were supposed to be in Chicago."

"I got back a few hours ago. I went out to walk Oscar, who got away from me for the moment." He smiled sheepishly as he hugged me tightly. He wouldn't let go for a while and I glanced at Taylor, who cleared his throat and pulled me to him.

"You want me to find Oscar?"

"Yeah, sure. Hey, are you Taylor Lautner?" he asked.

"Isn't it great?" Hannah said, holding Hadyn's arm and smiling at me.

I crossed the street to the little pond that was hidden by the trees. "Oscie!" I shouted, hoping he would hear me. Immediately, a little bell went off, coming towards me. I smiled as the lab came over the hill.

"Found him, Hadyn," I said. After a few minutes of catching up with him, Hannah, Taylor, and I walked home.

"Hannah, Dustin is coming over in a few minutes if you want to get ready for it," I said. We got inside the front gate and waved at Nat. He nodded and leaned his head back against the wall behind him.

"Can I borrow the Big Bang Theory? I want to watch it with Dustin tonight," Hannah asked.

"Among other things," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Of course you can borrow it. Please excuse me while I go wash off all the shit you decided to put on me." She scoffed and went back outside to sit on the chair across from Nat's.

Taylor waved at the few guys watching T.V. and followed me upstairs to my room. I closed the bathroom door as he flopped down on the bed.

When I came out to get my clothes, Taylor was rifling through part of my DVD collection.

"You own every Harry Potter movie?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Dunno. Didn't peg you for the kind to go for Daniel Radcliffe." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't even get me started on that man," I said, tugging my pants on under the towel. I crawled into bed with Taylor and settled down to watch four hours of Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe flirting with each other.


	3. Sherlock Holmes

The next morning, I woke up, suffocating again. Taylor had his left arm around my waist and his head on my pillow. I sighed and tried to unwrap myself from him. He just squiggled against me and held me closer.

"Taylor. Wake up. You're crushing me," I said, pulling on him arm. He hardly responded, so I tried to shove him away. I hoped this wasn't going to be a daily thing. I'd get heat stroke before long. I probably should take the comforter off at night, even in the middle of winter.

"What?" he whined. "I was having a good dream and you ruined it."

"Did it involve me killing you? Or kicking you out of this bed so my body didn't overheat?"

"No, but that'd be a good idea. You could do it with leather boots and a nice, long, trench coat…," he murmured sarcastically. He faded off as he fell asleep again. I managed to crawl out from under him and get into the shower. He was still asleep when I got out.

I walked over to the other side of the bed and opened the curtains there and the window. He was facing away so it didn't really disturb him. I pulled the other window and curtains open, too, before turning the T.V. on to the news. We'd forgotten to turn down the volume, so a blast of noise woke him up.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, bolting straight up. I smiled and sat on the end of my bed.

"Just the T.V. Sorry. I didn't know the volume was up so loud. I'll try to remember that tomorrow."

"You better," he murmured into my pillow.

"Why can't you use your own pillow? There's a ton on the bed. And the floor."

"Dunno. Smells like strawberries."

"Great. Well, you can make your own breakfast today. I'm late for work. I'm barely going to make it on time."

"Alarm?"

"Fell asleep and didn't turn it on. Any ideas why?"

"No. Hug." I sighed.

"Fine, Mr. Caveman. Get a bigger vocabulary or wake up."

"No."

He held his arms out, waiting for me to walk into them. I gave him a brief hug before leaving the room.

Warren was waiting for me on the other side of my door.

"We put all the groceries away last night and Hannah took the Big Bang Theory while you were banging him," he said, following me down the hall.

"I was not!" I responded.

"Sure. We could all hear the giggles and gasps coming from your room."

"We were watching the first 3 Harry Potter movies! And how could you have heard us? Wait a second. Were you standing on the other side of the door?"

He glanced at me. "Don't be absurd."

"You were! Oh, God. Really? How old are you? Fifteen?"

"We were just curious."

"We? Who else was with you?"

"Just a couple of the guys."

"The more…rowdy ones?"

"Um, well…not really. What do you mean by rowdy?"

"More obsessed with sex," I said, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh. Well."

"I really have to go pick up Hannah and get to work. If you have anything else to say to me that's not about you spying on me, I'd love to hear me."

"Ed's been calling. He just wants to talk to you for a few minutes."

"Fine. Tell him I'll talk to him when I get home. I'm already late." I grabbed my car keys from the bowl on the foyer table. I waved to Nat and drove to Hannah's house.

"God, you're so late!" she said when she got in.

"Well, good morning to you, too."

The rest of the car ride was completed in silence. When we were almost at work, I glanced at Hannah.

"What's wrong? Usually you don't shut up in the morning," I said.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said.

"Okay," I said, knowing it was the best way to get information out of her.

"It's just that I don't understand why Taylor gets to live with you. And when I come over, you run upstairs to sleep with him."

"Why does everyone think we had sex? I did not sleep with him. I would especially not do that with so many people all holed up at my house. It'd be too weird. You know that," I said.

"Yeah. I know. I guess I'm just a little jealous."

"A little jealous? If you weren't with Dustin right now, I bet you'd have already asked him to sleep with you. Or you_ and_ me. Oh, Goddess." I covered my face with my hand.

"Yeah, 'cause that wouldn't make our relationship awkward at all," she said.

"Right?"

"Oh, Dustin and I are moving," she said, avoiding my glance.

"You're moving? Where?"

"California."

"What? Why?"

"We decided that we want to move so we're closer to his family. I promise I'll let you know if anything happens. And you'll still be my maid of honor if we get married," she said.

"Of course," I agreed.

"But I can only promise that if you'll agree to the same. I want to be there when you tie the knot with Taylor."

"Hannah," I warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Nothing's going on. Blah, blah, blah. I still don't believe it."

"Going back to you now… When are you leaving?"

"In two weeks. A week from Friday."

"Isn't this cutting it a little close?" I asked.

"We bought a house in Vallejo last month."

"Last month? And you're just telling me about it now?"

"Well, yeah." I looked at her until she became uncomfortable with me not watching the road. "It's not that I meant to keep it from you. I just didn't want you spending almost two months trying to keep me from going."

"Still…"

We were silent until I pulled up in front of the bank.

"It's fine. I'm not upset," I said, trying to console her.

"I know, but I wish I'd told you when Dustin and I decided to do it. I shouldn't have done that to you," she said.

"It's really okay. I'm just glad you told me and didn't disappear one night."

"True."

After work, we drove across 88th to the small vet's office. As we were cleaning everything up and putting everything away where it belonged, the bell on the front door went off.

"We'll be right with you," Hannah said, trying to lift the big German shepherd onto the platform in front of his cage.

I opened the cage door for her and walked down the hallway to the front room, wiping the wet cat food off my hands.

"Hi. How can I—Taylor." I sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver that present I told you about. You weren't at home, so I came here," he said.

"So, what's my present?" I asked.

"You'll probably have to go home before you get to see it."

"Fine." Hannah came around the corner and gave him a hug.

"What are you doing here? I didn't even know you knew we worked here," she said.

"Raina told me. It's amazing the information she spews out. Could hardly keep her mouth shut last night." He smiled and I pressed my hands to my face.

"I now know why everyone thinks we slept together," I said.

"Really? Why?'

"You don't think things through when you say them."

"That is true," he said. "So, when can you two be ready to go?"

"In a few minutes. We still have a few things to do before Donnie gets here for his shift," Hannah replied.

"All right. I'll just wait outside. I think the smell is getting to me."

"What a marshmallow," I said.

"Yeah. You should hold out for someone with a stronger stomach." She smirked.

"Someone who laughs at the gore that makes weaker men vomit, perhaps?" I asked, laughing.

"Oh, ha ha. Use my own lines against me, why don't you?" Taylor said, pretending to be hurt.

"Don't be such a baby," I said at the exact moment Hannah proclaimed her love for him.

"Whatever," he said, smiling as he left the building.

"He's cute sometimes," she said.

"Only sometimes? I think I recall you saying something about him being the cutest actor you've ever encountered on the big screen the last time we watched New Moon."

"But that's different. That was mostly looks and I didn't know him personally." She wiped down the front counter with a disinfectant wipe.

"We still don't really know him personally. We hardly know anything about him. The only thing I've learned is he likes to sleep on the left side of the bed and rolls around a bit."

"Well, that's something, right?" she asked as I locked the door and set the alarm.

"I'm not going to use that to analyze every little thing about him, Hannah."

"I know. I know. I'm just saying—"

"What did you do to my car?" I screamed. Instantly, Taylor smirked and opened the driver's door for me.

"What do you mean? Have you done anything?" She got in the other side.

"Hannah, how can you not notice." I looked around us, searching. And then I saw it.

No one would have seen it. Not for a while, anyway. Hannah spent as much time in that car as I did, maybe more.

"Who helped you install it? I assume you hardly helped," I said, examining the new stereo and clock.

"Oh, well, Warren told me that you needed a new stereo. That other guy, Jake, said he'd do it for free. He's quite talented when it comes to cars."

"Yes, I know." Hannah turned to me in shock and confusion.

"He knows about Jacob?"

"Well, he doesn't know _about_ Jake. He knows _of_ Jake. Just like you only knew _of_ him until you spent forever with the two of us."

"Oh, okay," she said, relaxing into the seat.

"Know what?" Taylor asked.

"Nothing important. Hannah just thinks he's really interesting. Almost obsessed this one was. Until she met Dustin, of course."

"Can you blame me? He's gorgeous! Not that you aren't, Taylor. He's just the…original, you know." She giggled and we both looked at her; me warningly and he in confusion.

"Of all of us, I think I know best how gorgeous he is. I did date him. And most of the guys you love."

"Yeah. Like Tom." Her eyes glazed over and Taylor got in the car.

"I never actually dated Tom. You know that."

"Yeah, but you slept with him."

"And it was absolute shite. Again, you know that."

"Wait. Who's Tom?" Taylor asked.

"Just this guy Hannah thought was cute."

"He was. Especially with no shirt on."

"No shirt." Taylor looked at me. We were just passing the lake and I pretended to not be paying attention.

"I think everyone in modern society would agree on his hotness, Raina."

"So, I've heard."

"What? Is he famous or something?"

"Oh, he should be. He should share his looks with the world," Hannah said dreamily.

"Does she do this often?" he asked.

"Yeah. Hopefully not, but you'll get used to it."

We dropped Hannah off at her house quickly. She had a date with Dustin and he was due to be there in half an hour.

"So, how was your day? Are you getting the house cleaned up?"

"Yep. The guys are coming in to do the carpets on Friday, the windows on Thursday and I'm hoping they'll be able to paint over the weekend. I don't know if the carpets will be dry by then."

"With that hole in the wall, they should be good. Unless the water ices over."

"Huh. I never thought of that."

"Welcome to Colorado," I said, smiling.

When I pulled into my driveway, I suggested Taylor get out before I drove around to the garage out back.

"Why? You didn't park out there before."

"I just want the guys to check it out to make sure everything's going okay. I think the pads are a little worn and it'll take a while for any parts for this car to get here."

"So, why do I have to get out?"

"You don't. I just thought you might not want to deal with the immature boys down there," I said.

"_I_ am an immature boy. I think I can handle it."

"If you're sure. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

I drove along the front path around the low rock wall and plants. When I reached the back gate, we only had to wait a second or two before it opened. I drove down the gravel path and onto the metal lift at the end.

"This gets a tad weird," I said.

"I think I can handle it," he said again.

Slowly, the lift lowered us down and fluorescent light shone in the dark winter night. Taylor looked around us as the lift stopped.

Cars were parked in semi-organized rows. A few people milled about and glanced our way, but didn't look for too long. Most of them were guys, but I spotted the only two girls in our area. I backed up carefully and drove into an empty space between and old BMW beetle and a Range Rover.

"Cool," was all Taylor could say. "How did this happen?" He got out.

"Well, there was an old electrical box out back, but when we cleared away the bushes in front of it, we found it was dead and didn't work. There was also an exit sign on the bottom.

"So, we dug it up and there's this old, empty cavern. I didn't know what to do with it, so I just finished it like you would any old basement. Put up actual wall and supports. That sort of thing." A black car turned the corner and almost hit us. "Watch it!" I yelled. The man behind the wheel waved in apology.

"Anyhow, Jake over there got it into his head that he could rig it up to be a proper garage so everyone wouldn't have to park out in the street all the time. You've seen the amount of boys in my house. There were blocking the road."

"Huh. That's actually pretty smart."

"Thank you."

I grabbed all the things I needed from the table next to the door out.

"Hey, Raina!" I looked up, still flicking through the mail. An ad caught my attention. I held it up as Jacob trotted towards us. I met him halfway.

"You get your mail forwarded here now?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"I don't really mind. Just separate it from mine. What'd you want?"

"Oh, some guy called today. He said it was urgent you call him back as soon as possible.

"What was his name?"

"I don't really remember. Mark? Marco? Marque? I don't know."

"Marcus, perhaps?"

"Yeah, that's the one." I rolled my eyes as a shout from behind him caught all our attention. A car had slid back a few feet off a trailer. "Sorry. Gotta go."

"Hey, Jake. Check the pads on my Jaguar," I yelled after him.

Taylor and I walked back to the door.

"What was all that about?" he asked.

"Remember yesterday when I had you and Hannah load up the car and we walked home?"

"Yeah."

"Well, one of those guys called me, apparently. I don't really want to talk to him."

"Oh. Another ex?"

"Sadly, yes."

I led him through a small room rimmed with shelves mostly filled with trophies and books. When we left that room, we turned right into a hallway and up the stairs. After another sharp right, we went up another flight of stairs and ended up in the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

"No. I already ate dinner. Are you?"

"No. I'm more tired than anything."  
"I never knew how many stairs there were here," he said as we walked up to my—our—bedroom.

"Yeah. It's hard, sometimes when I'm injured. I hurt my ankles often."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm fine now, aren't I?" We turned the sheets down and I went into the bathroom for a quick shower. When I came out, he was watching Sherlock Holmes.

"Hey. Your hair is wet."  
"Yeah. I washed it."

"Huh. Okay." I crawled into bed and fell asleep before the movie was even halfway over.


	4. I Love You, Man

When I awoke in the morning, I groaned in exasperation. Apparently, the need to suffocate ones sleeping partner in the middle of the night was habitual for Taylor. At least I'd remembered to take off all the heavy sheets I'd been using before.

This time, both of us lay on our backs, on our right sides, but his left arm was pinning me to the mattress. And it wasn't in a cute 'oh, he's using me as a teddy bear' way. Oh, no. It was an arm flung across my side as if I was a continuation of the bed he lay on. I groaned again and almost managed to escape before we woke up.

"Rains? What are you doing?" he asked, sitting up, wide awake. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I'm just trying to get out of bed. You've made a habit of grabbing hold of me and refusing to let go."

He moved his arm off my waist instantly and blushed. "I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that. I tend to cuddle with things in my sleep. I didn't think it'd happen. I don't usually do that in unfamiliar places. I'm sorry."

I laughed. "Don't be so worried about it. As long as I can get up and move around if I have to, it's okay."

"Okay. Can you do that?"

"Probably. I haven't had to try that hard yet." I turned the alarm clock off before it could start and turned the TV on. It was silent. I turned to Taylor.

"Did you mute the volume when you turned the TV off last night?" I asked.

"Yeah. It was really loud yesterday."

"Huh. Okay. That works."

He attempted to roll around and back onto his side while I bustled about, getting ready. After a few minutes of trying to tame by hair, I finally gave up and twisted it into an immaculate bun near my neck.

"Are you going to get up and eat breakfast with me?" I asked when I came back into the room. He groaned into my pillow and mumbled something unintelligibly. "What?" He turned his head.

"I said, 'I don't want to deal with the guys.' They're giving me crap about staying here with you."

"I know. I'm getting it, too. They're only doing it because you're the new guy and they want to prove they can come out on top."

"I still don't want to."

"Fine. Have it your way, then. I'll be home early tonight, so you don't have to wait to come back over."

"Okay."

My house was blessedly empty when I went downstairs. There wasn't a single soul to annoy me as I made my breakfast. All the rooms were empty. I sat at the bar and ate my food slowly. I was just putting my plate in the sink when Taylor came down.

"You are awake," I said.

"Yeah. I wanted to see you off. I got my first pieces of mail yesterday."

"Oh? You're excited about that?"

"I don't usually get mail from people who aren't trying to get me to date them."

"Ah, yes. No fan mail yet?"

"None, thank God." He sat down in the chair I'd recently vacated with his cup of coffee.

"You still have to respond to it."

"I know. I can't believe I agreed to do that. I must have been really tired. It was a trick," he whined.

"But, you're still going to."

"Of course."

"Good. I'm off. I'll see you tonight, yeah?" He nodded and waved me out the door.

As I drove to Hannah's house, I tried to work through how we would stay in touch after she and Dustin had moved. I assumed we would still talk on the phone and email or whatever new technological advancement came about, but it seems that any long-distance relationship never works out very well in the long run, friendship or not.

Hannah greeted me as she got in my car by asking me how Taylor took it.

"Took what?" I asked.

"The news that Dustin and I are moving." I stared at her for a second before slowly looking forward, comprehension coming to me. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"Slipped my mind. I don't think I even thought of it."

"Well, I don't blame you. I wouldn't remember anything if I was around him as often as you are."

"No. I had to show him the garage and he asked about—"

"The garage? Like, the one above ground? The one your p—"

"Oh, no. Not that one. The one I actually use. I'm not stupid enough to show him that yet. If anything, he'll understand that the least." I sighed, imagining his reaction. "No. The car needed to be checked, so I just brought him down there for a little. He thought it was interesting."

"Well, I'm sure. It's a large area where famous car enthusiasts hang out on a daily basis. Not to mention that the cost of all the cars down there could buy you Antarctica."

"True."

I pulled into the road and headed towards the bank.

"On another note, Marcus called me yesterday." She turned to look at me.

"Did you talk to him?" she asked.

"No. He called while I was out. He told Jacob to tell me."

"Did he know it was _Jacob_, like, who he is?"

"Not that I know of. Probably not. He's not the smartest of the bunch. I will have to contact him, thought. He may request that Jaz and I return to him for a little."

Hannah stayed silent for a moment before she decided to speak.

"Do you think he'll try to do what he did last time again? I don't think Jaz could take that. He was pretty bad when he came back last time."

"I know. I shall try to fix everything I need to from here. I'm not going to just up and leave. Especially since you and Taylor were seen with me not minutes later. It's documented and probably released publicly by now."

"True."

We rode the rest of the way to work in silence. She'd brought something up I hadn't really given much thought to. I'd been keeping secrets from Taylor. I hadn't known him long enough to divulge anything and I didn't know how long he was going to stick around. It'd only been a couple of days. We didn't know each other very well, but I supposed I wouldn't be averse to telling him. _If anyone understood, it'd be him,_ I thought darkly.

The day passed quickly and without much excitement. After we got off work at the bank, we drove over to the vet's and Dustin came to pick Hannah up from there. By the time I drove into my driveway, I just wanted to take a shower and fall asleep.

When I entered my bedroom, I noticed a note on my dresser. Taylor had written it to tell me he was going to be a little late and he needed my cellphone number so he didn't have to come over and write a letter again. I smiled at his antics and took a quick shower. I picked up a random movie out of the stack and stuck it in the TV while I got ready for bed.

I'd fallen asleep about halfway through I Love You, Man, but Taylor woke me up when he came in and turned it off. He pulled off the comforter and his shirt before he climbed into bed. I mumbled something at him and he laughed a little.

"Go back to sleep, Ray," he said, lying next to me. I curled up on my side again, not noticing the nickname. Immediately, he dropped his arm around my waist. My eyes shot open in surprise. It was the first time he'd voluntarily showed affection for me. I almost wanted to ask him his reasoning for it, but I decided the psychology major in me could rest for at least one night.

The heat of his body lulled me to sleep rapidly.


	5. 17 Again

When I woke the next morning, Taylor wasn't crushing me. In fact, he wasn't there at all. I couldn't hear the shower running and the bed next to me was very cold. He'd been gone for a while. I hoped none of the guys got to him. Oh, God. I gasped, rolled out of bed and yanked my bedroom door open.

I could hear male voices from the kitchen. It didn't sound like they were arguing or taunting, but if anybody told Taylor anything about my history, I'd be screwed. But, if I barged in and demanded to know what they were talking about, it'd be obvious that I was hiding something. I heard Taylor chuckle and whisper something, but I couldn't quite make it out. My best chance was to act oblivious and unaffected, no matter what.

"Hey, Rains," Taylor said when I walked into the kitchen.

"Um, hi? What are you guys all doing in here this early? I didn't even know you understood the concept of anything before noon."

"Yeah, except when you keep us out on all night shifts," Seth joked.

"Even Clair gets worried. She's only seven. And she can't get to sleep unless I tuck her in." A few of us glanced at the tall man. "What? It's her pathology."

"And we're still going to give you crap for that. Especially before morning tea," I said, moving towards the stove.

"I already made it for you while the guys were telling me about you." Taylor handed me a mug.

"Thank you." I took a sip. "Very good. So, what have you been putting into his head, boys?"

"Nothing embarrassing. I kept them in line," Sam reported from the back of the room. "We need to get going. Some of us still want a full eight hours of rest." The guys started packing up, grabbing as much food as they could.

"Oh, Raina? Mark and Ed need you to call today. Something about Amber's Italian escapade?" Seth said.

"Thank you. I'll call. Get some sleep, Seth. You look like you need it. 16 hour shift?"

"Yep."

"Poor kid. 'Bye."

Once everyone had left, I sat down at my bar, face in my hands. I sighed and took a sip from my tea. "Thank you for this."

"No problem," Taylor said. He leaned against the other side of my stove. "You seem tired? Stretched like a rubber band."

"Yes. With everything that's going on here, I don't want to have to deal with any overseas adventure. I'm going to have to work doubles anyway after Hannah and Dustin move. I don't want to be traveling between Rome and here, too."

"Hannah's moving?" I stared up at him for a second.

"God, I suck at telling you things. Yes, they're moving to California."

"Oh. Well, good for them."

"They've been together of six years. I'm just glad they're moving in with each other, finally."

"Huh. So, uh, Jacob had something interesting to say to me this morning. It's a bit…thought-provoking, I guess." I sighed.

"Oh, what did he tell you? I told him not to get carried away."

"He said he was the real Jacob Black. Like, the boy I impersonated on the movie. Then he showed me this things he does—"

"Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, no." How could he have done this? He knows he's not allowed to tell humans, or anyone, for that matter. Maybe that's why Emmett called. They found out Taylor knew and were sending assassins out for his head on a platter. If it comes to it, I guess killing them wouldn't really be a problem, but cover—

"He cut himself open and made me watch his skin heal in less than a minute. I can't believe it. It was just a trick, right?" I looked up at him.

Ah, screw it.

I got up and looked through my fridge, pulling out a glass bottle and drinking from it.

"Well, to be honest, Jake was telling you the truth. Everything you said he said it real. I'm going to have a shit ton of crap to deal with for telling you, but I don't care. I probably should, but I don't."

He stared at me for a moment, clearly deciding whether I was joking or not.

"Wait, what?"

"Yup. Almost everything you portrayed in those movies was real. Of course, you guys had special effects and we made it seem more gay, but the basic principles are the same."

"So, Jacob is…a werewolf?"

"Yeah. Well, he's a shapeshifter, but that's what werewolf means. Man to wolf. He goes from man to wolf." I drank deeply from my bottle. "Incidentally, the healing quickly thing is a byproduct of spending time with me."

"So, what happens to me?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to kill me?" I laughed.

"That doesn't make sense. Just recently, we were caught on camera, kissing. The first person they'd come to is me. I don't want to deal with that."  
"Oh, yeah. Wait, what do you mean 'byproduct of spending time with me'?"

"Oh, well, naturally, we're what you'd call able to coexist. Just like how the werewolves phase because of the vampires, they have certain physiological reactions to other…things."

Taylor pulled over the extra chair from the corner of the room and sat down along the other side of the table. I watched him through the cloudy bottom of my bottle when I finished it, wincing a little

"But that doesn't make sense. What are you, then?" He paused, clearly thinking this for the first time. "What are you?"

"Don't pee yourself. It's not like I'm going to hurt you. Anyway, I don't really have a species name. I guess you could say, probably because there's only ever been two of us. Oh, wait!" Taylor shied away at my exclamation in surprise. "There was this one guy…He called me something.." I thought for a moment, straining to remember. "It started with a 'c'. Cur—no. Oh, Culner. I don't know what it means."

He stared at me, totally lost.

"There was a guy who did a few experiments on me once and I think he labeled me 'Culner'. It might have been an acronym for something. I'm not sure. I was a little drugged up at the time."

"Ah," he said, looking down at his folded hands. We were both quiet for a few moments.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I dunno. I mean, I sort of have to believe you 'cause there was that healing Jacob thing and it's kinda hard to make up a story like that. On the other hand, it's a little…"

"Far-fetched?" He glaned up.

"Yeah. How do you keep it a secret?"

"We try very hard."

"I suppose so." He looked away.

"If you don't want to stay here anymore, I completely understand. Also know that I still plan to keep you safe, even if you want nothing to do with us."

"Why wouldn't I want to stay? You're not going to hurt me."

"True, but I imagine it's a bit uncomfortable."

Taylor stood and walked over to the kitchen sink. I followed him to put my bottle on the counter. He turned on the water and let the sink fill before wiping out the few dishes there.

"Taylor?" I said, stopping his movements by pressing my hand to his arm. He leaned his forehead against the cabinet above us and set his hands on either side of the wide sink.

"It's just that I enjoy spending time here and with all of your guys even though I've only known you for a week, but I'm walking into this blind, Rains."

"I know. And we'll all help you. You just gotta ask. We don't do any of the village invasions you see in the movies, I promise."

"I hope not." We sat in silence for a while. "So, I can ask pretty much anything, right?"

"Of course. Did you have something in mind?" I asked.

"No, just making sure."

"Mmm. What were your plans for today?"

"The guys are working on the house today. I just want to make sure everything's good while they're there."

"Do you mind if I go over with you?" He turned to look at me. "I have a day off. I don't get those often."

Taylor's mouth formed a smirk.

"What?" I asked, warily.

"I have an idea."

It took entirely too long to find an outfit to wear. Taylor told me to choose something casual and sporty. I don't even know what that means. The first 26 outfits I chose didn't seem to work for him. He ended up picking out a pair of sweat pants and forcing me into one of his shirts. Then, he led me to his house, explaining along the way.

Apparently, Taylor's construction company had a lot of workers whose daughters idolized him for various reasons. He thought that it would help if the two of us hung out in front of the men. Theoretically, they'd take the information back to their daughters, who'd spread it around and he would stop getting hounded by women asking his hand for marriage. And if a few of the guys took a sneaky picture or two to send to tabloids, wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake? What I got out of the deal was simple: fame and free food. I have to admit that the food was the more tempting of the two.

Except that it didn't happen that way. Not exactly. Taylor hadn't equated in the use of cellphones. Most of the men had sent out news and pictures within twenty minutes. I wasn't quite comfortable having everything staring.

"Relax. They're not going to hurt you," he said after the tenth man had created an excuse to talk to us.

"That may be true, but that's not going to help me relax."

"What would help you relax?"

"Everyone leaving." He rolled his head to the side along the back of the couch to look at me.

"Unlikely." We were quiet for a few moments while men walked around us. Suddenly, Taylor grabbed my hand and stood. "Come with me." He led me down the hallway and into the bedroom. "Take a shower. Eat something. I'll be right here. I want to take a nap."

I tilted my head to look at him. "Why?"

"It'll help you relax."

"I don't think so. Does being naked in a house full of almost complete stranger sound appealing to you?"

"Don't worry. I'm going to be right here. The only way to get into the bathroom is through the bedroom," he said.

"Or the window, which is currently a piece of plywood."

"No one's going to rip the plywood off to watch you shower, Rains. I promise. If you want, I could come in with you, just to make sure you're not suddenly accosted by some pervert."

"Like you, you mean? No thanks. I think I can take care of myself for ten or fifteen minutes."

He pulled the plastic tarp off the bed that had protected it from the plastering and painting the workers had done. He smiled at my joke as he crawled beneath the pristine sheets.

"Here," he said, throwing me his shirt. "Change into this. I'll get a new one when I wake up." He rolled over and closed his eyes. I stared at him and he opened them again. "You're not in there yet?"

"You seriously want me to wear your gross, used shirt?"

"Well, you're wearing one right now. And it's not as if I've been running around in it for hours. It's pretty much clean. The one you're wearing on the other hand…"

"Oh, ew." I grabbed the shirt and practically ran into the small room on the other side of the bed.

After a few awkward moments of fumbling around, I finally managed to take a short shower and calm down a little. It was entirely uncomfortable, but that put me back into my comfort zone. I was trained to deal with my discomfort. When I returned to the bedroom, Taylor was fast asleep. I curled up on the side next to him, just like we did at home.

We were awoken by a man in overalls who barely had time to put his cellphone away before we looked at him. He'd obviously been taking pictures of us. But why? Taylor shifted behind me and groaned a greeting. His arm pulled from my waist just enough to turn and address the man. I rolled back over and ignored the two. Taylor's voice reverberated against my back and had the same calming effect on me as a long car ride had on a toddler. I nodded back into the dreamland I'd just come from.

When I woke up for the second time, I could feel a breeze on my face. The window was open across from us. I sat up to look around, forgetting that Taylor was still attached to me. He protested and rewrapped himself around my waist.

"Mmm. What're you doing?" he asked, groggily.

"Why is the window open? In fact, why is there a window there at all?"

"The guys installed it a while ago."

"They were in here while we were sleeping?" I turned to look at him in shock. He groaned and rolled onto his back, flinging an arm over his face.

"No. You were asleep, but I was awake, I promise."

"Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't have really told them all to leave."

"It's just that I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of people I don't know and don't trust in the room I'm sleeping in. It leaves me vulnerable."

"They didn't do anything. C'mon. Forget about it. It's already after seven. Let's just get something to eat and watch some TV or something," he suggested.

"Fine."

We got ready in silence. Taylor tugged on a clean t-shirt quickly, almost ripping a new arm hole through the side. We stalked back over to my place and awkwardly made preparations for bed.

"Look. I get that you feel vulnerable while sleeping. Everyone does. But I'm trying to explain that I was there, awake, the whole time. I wasn't going to let them do anything to you," he said. I sighed and put down my pillow.

"I know. I get it. It's just that there are some situations where you may not be able to keep people from injuring me."

"Like what? None of those guys has a gun. Besides, I'm sure they're profiting enough just from those stupid pictures."

"Do you remember those really creepy guys at Safeway the other day," I asked.

"Kinda. I remember Hannah staring at them."

"Yeah, them. Well, they're a situation that you won't be able to save me from. They're vicious and cold-blooded. Advanced warning, if anything happens, do what they tell you to do, even if it's self-destructive, until I can get to you."

"Okay, now I'm a little worried," he said, walking towards me.

"I'm sure It'll be fine, but I still think you ought to have some outline of a plan of action."

"In case what happens?"

"I don't have. Anything, I suppose." He looked at me for minute or two, trying to figure me out. "I have to go call someone."

On my way out, he called after me. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" I smiled at him.

"Trust me. I'll be fine."

I walked down the hallway a little and entered the last room on my right, closing the door behind me. A phone rested on its cradle on the table in front of the window. I picked it up and dialed a number I'd never been able to forget.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd finally respond," a silky voice sounded in my ear.

"Just tell me what you want so I can leave."

"Yes, back to the little human boy. Wasn't he the one you chose to play that mongrel? Interesting you're with him now."

"Mere coincidence. What do you want, Marcus? Another dead body? More money?"

"No. Retribution and repayment."

"So, yes to the bodies, then."

"Not exactly. We never really got what we wanted and neither did you."

"I got out. That's what I wanted. If you don't have something better to offer me, we're done. Get to the point!" I growled.

"Fine. We recently received information your friends bought a house near one of our plots. Adjacent to it, I believe. I need you to retrieve an item of value from someone for me or your little friends may find their new lives will go up in smoke."

"Literally?"

"Maybe. If I must resort to that."

"I've noticed you're using the word 'I' a lot. Do the others not know about this little deal you're attempting to make with a rogue?"

"That is none of your concern."

"I see. I shall decide based on the information I trust you'll send me by the end of the week."

"So, we have an agreement?"

"No. You'll be hearing from me, either way. You can count on that. Oh, by the way, that nexus was a good idea, but I think you may find it no longer works in your favor."

When I returned to my bedroom, Taylor had rearranged the sheets on the bed so that the heavy ones rested on the wooden chest at the foot of the bed. He looked up when he heard me enter.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes. Actually, I feel better now. What are we watching?"

"17 Again. The one with Zach Efron. I had Warren pop us some popcorn."

"Oh, good."

I fell asleep an hour later, completely disregarding the kernels between my sheets.


End file.
